Introduction:
Endoscopic ear surgery provides many advantages including a wide panoramic view with
easy observation of areas around the “corners” in the middle ear cavity. However,
those newly introduced techniques suffer from many handicaps that can frightens surgeons
who already have practiced exclusively with the microscope from embracing this new
technique.
Objectives:
This review of the literature focus on those all handicaps associated with the usage
of endoscopes in ear surgery by the newly trained physicians and provide solutions
discussed in the literature.
Data Synthesis: Over the past decade, many studies have been published on the overall
efficacy of endoscopic ear surgery as compared to the traditional microscopic approach,
thus encouraging wider usage of the endoscope. Endoscopic ear surgery provides a wide
panoramic view with easy observation of areas around the “corners” in the middle ear
cavity decreasing residual disease and recurrence rates when compared to surgeries
which used the microscope alone. Also, endoscopic techniques avoid having to make
postauricular or endaural incisions. On the other hand, those newly introduced techniques
suffer from many handicaps including the inability to use both hands, potential risks
of mechanical and thermal trauma and the difficult ability to manage bleeding within
the field.
Conclusion:
There is a noticeable continuous challenging learning curve with many handicaps for
Endoscopic Ear Surgery. However, all of the discussed handicaps are neglectable problems
with experienced trained hands.
